Welcome to the Center for Health Behavior Research

The University of Pennsylvania's Center for Health Behavior Research is working to become an epicenter for fundamentals of behavioral research on the Penn campus. Together with collaborators from the Penn community and other social science and public health professionals, we are working to advance the development, application and testing of health behavior measurement and theories in clinical and population-based research.

We conduct and collaborate on innovative research on prevention, intervention, and program development for health behaviors. Applied health behavior theory is central to our work.

We collaborate with other researchers to develop and evaluate relevant health behavior measurement tools to answer research questions

We provide consultation to behavioral researchers who want to develop or refine a theoretical basis for their line of inquiry

We provide a center for training, mentoring and supporting students, postdoctoral fellows and junior scientists in health behavior research

Center News

Since 2005 the Penn Integrates Knowledge (PIK) program has brought to campus exceptional faculty members whose research and teaching exemplify the integration of knowledge across disciplines. This new website highlights the work of Dr. Glanz and her fellow PIK professors.

CHBR is collaborating on a new Faculty development opportunity for Faculty interested in conducting community-engaged research. Two recipients were chosen to participate in the new Community Scholars-in-Residence Program and are currently working with their community partners. Stay tuned for more information on their projects.

CHBR is currently seeking a talented and highly motivated postdoctoral
fellow. Applicants should have a PhD in health psychology, behavioral/social epidemiology, health behavior/education, or a related field. The postdoctoral fellow will have opportunities to collaborate
on interdisciplinary research, secondary data analyses, and work on new studies.
Position is for 1 year with the possibility of renewal for a 2nd year. The
position description is available here.
All application materials should be sent to Sarah Green.

$4.35 Million Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Grant Establishes Penn Prevention Research Center to be co-directed by Karen Glanz, PhD, MPH and Kevin Volpp, MD, PhD. For more information, please see the press release.

CHBR collaborated with The Food Trust, Temple University, and two grocery retail chains in Philadelphia to pilot-test a number of in-store marketing interventions to increase the sales of healthier items. Read the RWJF Program Results Report here.

Dr. Karen Glanz was featured in a Philadelphia Inquirer article on June 2nd and participated in a conversation on WHYY Radio Times about Staying Fit Through Life on June 12th. From running marathons to cycling 300 miles across the Israeli desert, read how Dr. Glanz spends her time outside of the office!

Congratulations to Karen Glanz, PhD, MPH on being elected to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), one of the nation's highest honors in biomedicine. For more information, please read the news releases from UPenn and the IOM.